


From Study Partners to Smugglers

by patbeck



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), College, College Student Keith (Voltron), College Student Lance (Voltron), Drug Dealing, Drug Use, Drugs, Gay Keith (Voltron), M/M, Pining Keith (Voltron), Recreational Drug Use, References to Drugs, Underage Drug Use, broganes, klance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2019-03-17 16:28:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13662837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patbeck/pseuds/patbeck
Summary: "So..." Lance broke the silence. "You're not gonna kill me, are you?"Keith rolled his eyes. "What? No.""Well, I mean your boss is probably a crime lord," Lance shrugged. "Do you have shoot-outs or...?""You watch way too many crime films," Keith retorted. "No, I'm not gonna kill you. What I will ask you do is keep your mouth shut. But the question is, how will I know you'll keep your word?""I could help you out?""What?""What?"Keith scrunched his nose. "I'm not gonna let some twink who works as a waiter at a Ma and Pa's diner smuggle weed across the county lines.""Uh, first of all, I am a twunk," Lance pinched his fingers to emphasize his point. "And second, I thought you said it's nothing like it is in the films?"---Keith is the responsible, organized college student with good grades who's well-off enough to rent his own apartment. Lance is the bright, yet irresponsible party kid who might need a bit of help with his exams. The two could ideally work as study partners, but there's one problem: Keith's means of income is coming from an illegal weed business.





	1. The Liability

It all started when Keith was a little less careful than usual with his phone calls.

Keith Kogane was normally a careful student. He came to his classes at the university on time, he was never late in paying his bills, and he had a decent, steady job that helped him provide for everything. To an outsider, he was the model young adult who managed to be self-sufficient. Every college student's wet dream. There was no shortage of freshmen begging to be his study partner during exam season. His phone would never sleep from all the texts he'd get. It was annoying, he really didn't want to have to be some kid's second teacher. He preferred to do everything himself, but when someone offered to pay him, he couldn't really refuse.

Enter Lance McClain, the biggest mistake to enter his life.

The freshman transfer was a wide-eyed, bushy-tailed casanova who somehow managed to talk his way into everything. He flirted, he offered, he partied, he was everything Keith despised in college. Not to mention the "rivalry" Lance tried to start up when he saw how great of a student Keith was. In his eyes, Lance was the exact opposite of responsibilities. He assumed Lance must've come from rich parents who paid for everything (how else could he afford Keith's study session?) But in reality, Lance had a steady job at the local restaurant. The chef's son, Hunk was his name, managed to connect Lance to a job. Well, it certainly was a logical explanation, but Keith still wondered how the hell Lance hadn't gotten fired yet? He was the most reckless guy Keith had ever met! But regardless of how much Keith questioned Lance's character, Lance still offered a decent enough amount of money that Keith couldn't quite refuse. So, in the shortest terms, they were study partners.

"Come on, dude, my calculus exam is in two days and I'm really falling behind!" Lance had begged.

"Fine, but no alcohol, no drugs, no nothing," Keith warned him.

"Ha! What do you even take me for?"

"A liability."

Later that night, Keith heard a knock on the door and there he was, Lance McClain in all his glory. He had a backpack slung over his shoulder and that stupid smirk on his face that Keith didn't know if he couldn't stand it or if he found it alluring. He stepped aside and reluctantly let him in, and soon enough, they were going over the study guide. Lance had diverted his attention from the study guide a couple of times to observe his surroundings, which was slowly getting on Keith's nerves.

"What?" He snapped.

"Nothing. I just...I didn't expect someone like you to have such a messy place."

"I let you in and this is how you talk to me?"

"Hey, sorry! I was just expressing my opinion!"

Keith could not wait until this study session was over.

It was later on in the night that Keith got an unexpected phone call. He cringed when he heard his ringtone, Lance looked up curiously.

"Sorry, I gotta take this," Keith mumbled as he took out his phone and got off the couch.

"You gonna be out long?" Lance asked.

"Nah, it should be quick."

Keith entered the bathroom to the side of his bedroom to get some privacy and to make sure Lance didn't hear any of it. He answered the call and put it to his ear.

"Yeah?"

"Good! You answered, you shouldn't be too busy to take this job."

Keith groaned. "Really? You're making me do this during exam season?"

"Relax, it's gonna happen over winter break. You'll have plenty of time from studying to go on a nice drive."

Keith narrowed his eyes. "So what do you want?"

"The boys over in the valley are running low on stock. I need you to drive over there and drop the goods off."

"What, so you're back in the country?"

"You bet your ass I am, and the shit's fresher than ever."

"So you're sure you actually got the right supplier this time?" Keith asked. "The dealers complained last time that smoking it gave them a headache."

"No no, don't worry about that. The old supplier's gone, we got a new guy now. I tried his stuff, it's legit."

Keith cocked an eyebrow. "You're sure about that? I'm not getting a bullet in my head over bad weed?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll send you the address. The boys will be expecting you next Monday."

Keith sighed. "Fine. Later."

"Bye."

Keith hung up and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Right after being done with exams he expected to have some relaxation, some time to himself. But no, he just had to go on a fifteen-hour drive and drop off some stupid weed at a stupid guy's house. It was times like these that he regretted getting in the business, he almost wished he had gotten in the army like Shiro did to pay for his tuition, but he remembered what his adoptive brother told him. He'd have to run the risk of taking orders from an asshole. And he knew what that gave Shiro last time, therapy and a prosthetic. So, he'd suck it up and get it over with. He turned the handle of the bathroom door and opened it.

Lance was standing at the other side of the door, his eyes wide with shock.

"You're a fucking smuggler!?"

Lance was just what Keith had thought he was, a liability.


	2. Striking a Deal With a Twink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance do some problem-solving over the dilemma of Lance discovering Keith's secret. Keith finds it very tempting to bash his head against a wall.

Keith paced the living room as Lance sat on the couch in silence. The air in the room was so awkward, so unbearable to be in while Keith was considering his options. Either he'd pay Lance to keep his mouth shut, (with what money?) Lance could tell everyone and end up getting both of them killed, Lance could get a bullet in his head before he could tell anyone (Keith sure as hell wasn't going to do it,) or Keith could compensate by offering free study sessions until he graduated if Lance didn't tell anyone. He didn't like any of his options, they all had a chance where someone could die, but that's what he got for being careless.

"So..." Lance broke the silence. "You're not gonna kill me, are you?"

Keith rolled his eyes. "What? No."

"Well, I mean your boss is probably a crime lord," Lance shrugged. "Do you have shoot-outs or...?"

"You watch way too many crime films," Keith retorted. "No, I'm not gonna kill you. What I will ask you do is keep your mouth shut. But the question is, how will I know you'll keep your word?"

"I could help you out?"

"What?"

"What?"

Keith scrunched his nose. "I'm not gonna let some twink who works as a waiter at a Ma and Pa's diner smuggle weed across the county lines."

"Uh, first of all, I am a twunk," Lance pinched his fingers to emphasize his point. "And second, I thought you said it's nothing like it is in the films?"

"It's not like the films, but that doesn't mean it's not dangerous," Keith retorted. "Weed's still illegal in this state. And since the business is outside of state regulation, there's gonna be some guys who go to extreme lengths to make a profit. Business rivalry is not gonna go as the same length as some Target and Walmart on the same street."

"Extreme lengths as in...?" Lance cocked an eyebrow.

Keith rolled his eyes and waved his hands in exasperation. "Like...ugh, like maybe the boss of the rival business kills your smuggler so you lose your means of product."

"Sounds pretty movie-like to me," Lance scoffed.

"Shut up," Keith growled. "And anyway, what makes you think you can help me in this?"

"Well, I could be your personal secretary," Lance suggested. "You know, take calls, write up receipts, take notes. Stuff like that! And hey, I could stick around to make sure you don't look too suspicious, maybe watch your back?"

Keith cocked an eyebrow. It didn't seem...too much of a bad idea. "And you're sure that'll keep your mouth shut?"

"Listen, Mr. Garrett's business partner just put a lawsuit on him, so I'm not getting a paycheck from Hunk's parents for a while," Lance explained. "If this is gonna pay my loans, I sure as hell am gonna keep my mouth shut."

Keith sighed. "Fine, you're hired," he said. "But don't think my boss is gonna be cool with this. I'll call him up and see what he thinks."

Keith called Sendak and he...was not happy with the idea of having to pay another guy. The guy was pretty stingy with his money, but after badgering him with elaborate excuses, he finally agreed to let Lance in. When he hung up on Sendak, he heard Lance snickered from his seat.

"What?" Keith grunted.

"You still have a flip phone?" Lance chuckled.

"Smartphones are easier to track, dumbass," Keith growled.

"It must be horrible being a smuggler, then," Lance sighed, leaning back in his seat.

"Yeah, when the cops or a rival dealer can shoot you up any given moment, it's pretty horrible," Keith said bluntly. "How are you being so relaxed about this, anyway?"

"Humor's my coping mechanism," Lance shrugged. "Truth be told, I'm pretty terrified of the implications. I've never smoked one weed in my life, and I don't intend to. I'm not gonna get, like, a second-hand high, am I?"

"If we're lucky, then no," Keith replied.

"Good, my mama didn't raise me that way," Lance smirked. "Have you ever smoked the stuff?"

Keith shrugged. "Sometimes, but not recently. It's been giving me a headache. Some of these guys like to lace their stuff with bullshit."

"Glad I never started, then," Lance scoffed.

"Back to the situation at hand, we're gonna be starting this the Monday after finals. The county we're driving to is nine hours away, so pack your stuff and meet me at my place at nine in the morning, understand?" Keith explained.

"Ugh, sounds exhausting," Lance sighed, getting up from his seat. "But I'm in, I'm coming right on time."

He didn’t come right on time.

They shook hands on it, yet he came 30 fucking minutes late.

Keith leaned against his pick-up truck with a mug of coffee in his hand and two duffel bags in the truck, he was starting to consider ditching the guy after half an hour had passed, when he saw the kid strolling down to the front of his apartment with three duffel bags, sunglasses on his head, and a backpack. Keith cocked an eyebrow at the sight of him, he almost wanted to leave him behind.

“This is only a day trip, what on Earth do you need to bring?” Keith scoffed.

“Uh, this is a business trip?” Lance retorted. “Who knows what might come up that might cost us a day or two?”

“You’re still packed like we’ll be gone for a month,” Keith pointed out. “And what took you so long? You said you’d be on time.”

“I have a morning routine, Keith, you’d understand if you took care of your skin better,” Lance replied as-a-matter-of-factly. He took off his duffel bags and slung them into the back seats of Keith’s truck.

There really was no arguing with this guy, was there? “Fine, but don’t think that kind of thinking will pass in this business,” he grunted, opening the truck and hoping into the driver’s seat. “Get in.”

The two got into the car. Keith started the engine, pulled out of his parking space, and they were finally on the road.The first thirty minutes of the ride were spent in painful, awkward silence.They hadn’t spent that much time with each other other than the study sessions they had together, so they didn’t really know exactly what they had in common. Keith supposed that was for the best, after all, Lance probably was type of guy to only talk about hot girls and sport. Not that that was a bad thing, Keith just didn’t relate to both the sporty and ‘attracted to girls’ aspect. He wondered if Lance would be okay with that sort of thing.

Lance turned on the radio, and it was at that point the ride went down to shit. Keith didn’t recall arranging a karaoke session for the road trip, but for some reason Lance decided he’d just drop one out with no warning. And boy, did Keith hate every second of it. He’d pump out the long notes in _Love Me Like You Do,_ sob like he was betrayed by some girl to _Somebody That I Used To Know,_ fail miserably to pump out all of the lyrics to _Rap God,_ and finally he’d flip his shit over over _Gasolina._ _Especially_ Gasolina, he seemed to peak during that one. It was at that point that Keith decided to have a bit of an out-of-body experience until Lance would stop screaming the lyrics, and he thought he was safe to come back when the song finally finished. But when he heard the beginning of a Taylor Swift song come on, he decided he had enough.

“Lance, I have a Glock in my holster and if you play one line of that woman’s music I will not hesitate.”

Lance cocked an eyebrow and turned off the radio, leaning back in disappointment. “Say what you want about Taylor Swift, but her early stuff was the shit.”

“I highly doubt it, but whatever you say,” Keith scoffed. “I don’t have the patience for any more music.”

“Fine,” Lance replied. “But hey, I’m a pretty good singer, right? It’s all about the emotion!”

Keith grimaced.

“I take it that you disagree,” Lance sighed. “Alright, whatever. But speaking of which, am I gonna have to use a gun?”

“If everything goes right, nope,” Keith replied. “But you’re not getting a gun, anyway. I don’t trust you with one.”

“Aw, come on! My dad taught me how to use a rifle back on my parents’ ranch!” Lance protested. “I can defend myself!”

“I’d rather see that for myself,” Keith rolled his eyes.

“How’d you get into this business, though?” Lance asked. “You really don’t seem like the type of guy to want to get into this kinda stuff.”

“It’s how any other guy would do something risky, for money,” Keith replied.

“But couldn’t you have just gotten a job at a restaurant or in retail, or something?”

“That’s easy for you to say, you live in a dorm,” Keith retorted. “Minimum wage won’t pay rent.”

Lance didn’t respond since he seemingly couldn’t find any more arguments. He looked out the window for a bit, staring out at the corn fields until he finally spoke again. “You from out of state?”

“Yeah, grew up in Texas.”

“A southerner like you not liking Taylor Swift, the millennial face of country music? Shocker!”

“Care for me to remind you of the Glock I have? That I won’t hesitate to use?”

“Alright, geez!”

Keith was sort of relieved when Lance went silent again, he could finally concentrate on the road again. He thought Lance was probably upset with Keith shutting him down again, but when he looked at his partner again from the corner of his eye, he saw that Lance was smirking. Was he enjoying this? Keith wasn’t quite sure what to feel about this.

“Lance, listen, in a few hours we’ll be meeting up with Sendak to pick up-” Keith heard a pop coming from the engine before he could finish, and suddenly the truck was running much slower. He cursed silently as he pulled over and stopped the truck. He silently hopped out of the truck and went to the front of the car to check on the engine. When he opened the truck a billow of smoke rose from the engine, he grimaced from the smell and scowled when he realized the impact of the delay.

Lance got out of the truck and stood next to Keith as he looked at the engine. “Guess this is gonna take way more than just a few hours, huh?”


End file.
